AboutJason Grabill Expertise Questions relating to US Marine Corps; rank, awards, uniforms, career choices. I can also help people spot and expose fakes (people pretending to be Marines or have awards they didn`t earn).
Parachutist: MOS 9962: Got my wings in August of 1984
Intelligence Specialist: MOS 0231 10 years working as an Intelligence Analyist
Field Radio Operator: MOS 2531. Served as a Platoon Sergeant in a Communications Platoon assigned to MEU Service Support Group 24 (Special Operations Capable)
Publications I was an Editorial writer for Marine Corps Times from 1998-2000.
Awards and Honors Kosovo Campaign Medal w/1 star
Sea Service Deployment Ribbon with 4 stars.
Numerous other unit awards. I was on duty on 9/11 at HQMC, near the Pentagon, and responded to that location to try and lend a hand if needed...
Question My husband wants to join the marines and I am terrified that he will be killed in combat. Is it really likely that he would be? Also they said that he won't be gone very long out of 4 years. But my friends who are military wives say that their husbands are always gone.
Please help,
Brittany
Answer Brittany:
He stands a far better chance of being killed in a car or motorcycle crash than 'being killed in combat'. You can get 'killed' crossing the street, in a tornado, or in an airplane crash.
"Likely"? No. Possible? Yes. Probable? No. The odds are far greater he'd succumb to one of the above long before being KIA.
As far as being gone 'very long', well, that depends on your definition of 'very long'. Six month deployments are 'normal' with extensions of up to 8 months depending on the mission. Plus pre-deployment workups.
